Genius Garage

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
462323216
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Bowling Green, OH, USA
Phone
6148328728
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Youth Development Programs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$-29,050
Expenses
$160,020
Assets
$396,578
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CC CAMERON PUTSCH (PRESIDENT)
  • JONATHAN O'NEAL RODEBAUGH (VICE-PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • CC CAMERON PUTSCH (PRESIDENT)
  • JONATHAN O'NEAL RODEBAUGH (VICE-PRESIDENT)
  • JAMES ROBERT NICHOLAS CLINE (SECRETARY)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To provide valuable learning and growth experiences for bright young people to apply their talents under the tutelage of mentors for the betterment of their future career placement and growth

What it reported doing in 2025

2025 was a rebuild year for the program. Due to difficulties in fundraising efforts, the program was refocused to only a few students, and the lotus exosphere, which had played a large role in 2024, was sold to fund other lower-cost projects that provided the students with more relatable mechanical experience. The year utilized multiple porsche racecar projects as well as a chaparral project, and more coach building-focused activities, building cars from parts, rather than tuning and refinement that was offered in years past. Although the past few years have been challenging for the program, the students were still given as many opportunities as possible, with many of them getting relevant and fulfilling jobs in the workforce.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 72% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 64
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 99%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -650.8%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.48; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.8% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -18% per year; rating input score 0; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 99% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 1 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $158K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 18 of 18 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2016 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 6/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 41/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 58/100.